Feel-Good Friday: 7 Herbs for Health and Wellness

Here are some of my favorite ways to use herbs for health and wellness.

1. Stay calm with herbal teas. Tea is a go-to remedy for reducing stress. Just holding a steaming mug of hot tea can help calm the nerves. Calming herbs that make a delicious tea include chamomile, lavender and holy basil. Read about 9 other ways to reduce stress.

2. Ease headaches with peppermint. Peppermint can soothe headaches in two ways. If rubbed on the skin at strategic points such as your temples peppermint oil can relax the muscles causing tension headaches. If inhaled, peppermint can relieve sinus pressure and induce calm. Read about 5 other health and beauty uses for peppermint.

3. Fall asleep with passionflower. This fast-growing vine contains tranquilizing compounds that can ease anxiety and help you sleep—but won’t cause drowsiness in the morning. Many varieties of the passionflower exist, but not all are suitable for medical uses. Be sure that you’re taking only Passiflora incarnate, as other variations can be dangerous. Steep one teaspoon of leaves in a cup of boiling water for a soothing tea. Read about 5 other herbs that work to aid sleep.

4. Fight heartburn with herbs. Chamomile, licorice root and meadowsweet leaf can decrease the production of acid and calm the digestive track, while marshmallow root and slippery elm bark can help absorb the stomach acid. Try steeping one or two teaspoons of one of these herbs to create a post-meal tea. Read about 6 natural ways to reduce heartburn.

5. Reduce high blood pressure with garlic. Among its many health benefits, recent studies have shown that garlic can also help significantly lower blood pressure. Selenium, a compound in garlic, is believed to prevent blood from clotting, helping it to move unhindered through blood vessels and stabilizing blood pressure. Get 8 natural tips to help reduce blood pressure.

6. Prevent acne with burdock root. Burdock root helps detox and purify the body. It also has hormone-balancing properties that make it useful for treating acne. Take 300 to 500 mg or 30 drops of tincture three times daily for eight weeks. Read about other ways to reduce acne naturally.

7. Boost immunity with oregano. Oregano can be used to cut back on the severity and duration of cold symptoms. Oregano’s healing power lies in oil derived from wild oregano plants, so don’t use the dried leaves used in cooking to treat ailments. Oil of oregano has been shown to treat infections and kill parasites, viruses, bacteria and even some fungi. Read about 4 other natural immune boosters.

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